Post by : Badri Ariffin

Lindsey Vonn, the celebrated American skiing champion, is making an astonishing return to the Olympic stage at 41, set to compete in the Milan-Cortina Games. A former gold medalist in downhill skiing, she is defying both age and expectations with her resurgence.

Her Olympic journey commenced back in Salt Lake City in 2002, where a 17-year-old Vonn secured sixth place in the combined event, competing under her maiden name, Kildow. She made her World Cup debut in December 2004.

During the Torino 2006 Olympics, Vonn experienced a setback, crashing during downhill training and spending a night in a hospital, yet she still managed to finish eighth in downhill and seventh in super-G, along with a 14th place in slalom.

A turning point came at Vancouver 2010 when Vonn clinched gold in downhill and bronze in super-G, marking a historic win as the first American woman to achieve Olympic downhill gold. Despite battling issues in slalom and giant slalom races, she faced some "did not finishes" (DNFs).

After a severe knee injury kept her away from the Sochi 2014 Olympics, she returned to glory at Pyeongchang 2018, securing a bronze in downhill and a joint sixth finish in super-G, announcing it would be her final Olympic participation.

Retiring after the 2019 World Championships, she did not participate in Beijing 2022, holding the record for the oldest female athlete to earn a medal at 34 and obtaining medals from six different World Championships.

Post-retirement, Vonn demonstrated her resilience by winning two World Cup downhill races and achieving a total of 12 career victories at Cortina (six in downhill, six in super-G).

While US teammate Mikaela Shiffrin has outpaced her with a record 108 World Cup wins, Vonn’s vast experience and fierce determination make her a formidable contender in Milan-Cortina.

Lindsey Vonn’s return to the Olympics stands out as one of the most inspiring comebacks in sports, highlighting that age is but a number in the pursuit of excellence.

#Global News #Sports News